Dubai: The violent anti-government protests in Bangkok have not affected Dubai residents, reported many embassies and consulates even as their governments issued a travel advisory against travel to the Thai capital.
Spokespeople from several missions in the UAE told Gulf News they have either not received or were “aware” of any appeals for assistance made by their nationals visiting Thailand at the moment.
There were no reports of residents from any other emirates in the UAE being affected by the violence in the Thai capital.
The Thai government declared a state of emergency and cracked down on anti-government protesters after they stormed a 16-nation Asian summit, forcing the government to airlift the visiting heads of state and cancel the event. Pasan Teparak, Thai Consul-General in Dubai, told Gulf News his government was trying to restore normalcy as soon as possible.
“I am monitoring the news over what is happening in Bangkok. The airports are still open. They are operational, not like last year,” he said.
In November last year, protestors against the previous administration took over two airports in the capital for about a week, stranding thousands of passengers. Teparak added tourists were unlikely to be harmed during the protests, as they took place in “non-tourist areas”.
Emirates and Etihad said their flights between the UAE and Thailand are operating as normal because the Bangkok airport is unaffected by the disturbances. “Our flights are operating as normal but we are constantly monitoring the situation,” an Etihad spokesman said.
A spokeswoman at Emirates airlines said there were no stranded passengers and the airline was not considering any special flights in the current situation.
“Although the Thai government has declared an emergency, the airport is not affected,” she said.
The US, Britain, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, as well as the UAE, are among the countries that have issued travel advisories against unnecessary travel to Bangkok.
Thailand is a popular destination among Dubai residents.

source: Gulf News